Meetings

Meetings | The Symptoms

Not all meetings are held in a Board Room. Not every meeting has a formal agenda.

But for every meeting there is an objective, a result you want to achieve.

Meetings | The Diagnosis

Background - Meetings preparation

Meetings (just like humans and organisations) come in all shapes and sizes:

One-to-One (Professional Development Discussion, Coaching, Disciplinary Procedure, Contract Negotiation, Onboarding, Recuitment... The list goes on and on.)
Small groups (Strategy Planning, Management Team, Status Update, Problem Solving, Team Building... The list goes on and on.)
Large Groups (Education and Training, Information Sharing, Team Building Meet and Greet... The list goes on and on.)

The Language Doctor can assist in two ways with your meeting preparation:

Proofread and edit your meeting notes, handouts, documentation
Proofread / edit the meeting documents as well as prepare you for the physical meeting.

Language Verification

The first step in the process is Language Verification. This can include:

Proofreading
Editing (where appropriate)
Disambiguation (making the language more precise)
Eliminating SwEnglishness
Checking appropriate use of jargon (will the audience understand?)
Eliminating "buzz" words and expressions ("At this moment in time...", "Going forward..." )
Focus on register (level of formality) and appropriacy of language.

Meeting Practice

Meeting Practice with the Language Doctor will ensure that you are 100% prepared and confident in your preparation. We will work on:

Pronunciation (are there certain words or expressions that do not come naturally to you when speaking? - Let's find an alternative)
Stress Patterns (common words such as "analysis", or unfamiliar names can cause problems. Together we will work on the stress patterns until they are second nature)
Speed of delivery (in general, SLOW DOWN. It's not a race! Practical advice for keeping in control of every aspect of your delivery)
Meetings are not vacuums in time and space - what goes on before and after a meeting? Do you need to engage in small talk or social conversation? What techniques can you use to "break the ice"?

Meetings | The Treatment

Background - Meeting preparation

When you contact the Language Doctor please write a brief description of the purpose and mechanics of the meeting. This should include:

Date of meeting
Length (in time) available
Venue (e.g., your office (probably a one-to-one), conference room (up to 15 people), conference hall (more than 15 people) etc
Internal (colleagues, co-workers), External (general public, customers, shareholders etc)
Profile of the audience (language ability, expert/novice, age demographic (if applicable) etc)
Overall purpose of the meeting (e.g., Recruitment, Information, Negotiation, Team Building etc)

Contacting the Language Doctor

If you are new to the Language Doctor, please make contact, in the first instance, via the chat button in the bottom right hand corner of this web site.
If you are a returning customer on the AD HOC basis, please make contact via the following email: ld@languagedoctor.atlassian.net
If you are a returning customer on the RETAINER basis, please send an email to the email specified in your agreement. (If you are unsure about this, please use the chat button below and ask for clarification.)

Document formats and video conferencing

Please send unlocked PowerPoint presentations.
Text content outside of PowerPoint should be sent in unlocked Word format (.pdf files should not be used)
For video consultations we use Microsoft Teams

Process - AD HOC basis

Once you have made contact regarding your assignment, the Language Doctor will respond as soon as possible.
If the assignment is Proofreading and Editing only, a delivery date and time estimation for completion will be communicated.
If the assignment is Proofreading / Editing and Presentation Pactice, a delivery date and time estimation for completion of the text and a propsal for an online meeting will be communicated.

Process - RETAINER basis

Once you have made contact regarding your assignment, the Language Doctor will respond within the timeframe detailed in your Service Level Agreement (SLA).
If the assignment is Proofreading and Editing only, a delivery date and time estimation for completion will be communicated.
If the assignment is Proofreading / Editing and Presentation Pactice, a delivery date and time estimation for completion of the text and a propsal for an online meeting will be communicated.